80 FR 10691 - Medicare Program; Public Meetings in Calendar Year 2015 for All New Public Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Coding and Payment Determinations

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 39 (February 27, 2015)

This notice announces the dates, time, and location of the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be held in calendar year 2015 to discuss our preliminary coding and payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the HCPCS. These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to preliminary coding and payment determinations. The discussion will be focused on responses to our specific preliminary recommendations and will include all items on the public meeting agenda. (Please note that two of CMS' 2015 HCPCS public meetings have a late starting time.)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10691-10694]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04178]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-1465-N]


Medicare Program; Public Meetings in Calendar Year 2015 for All 
New Public Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure 
Coding System (HCPCS) Coding and Payment Determinations

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the dates, time, and location of the 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be 
held in calendar year 2015 to discuss our preliminary coding and 
payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the 
HCPCS. These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make 
oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to 
preliminary coding and payment determinations. The discussion will be 
focused on responses to our specific preliminary recommendations and 
will include all items on the public meeting agenda. (Please note that 
two of CMS' 2015 HCPCS public meetings have a late starting time.)

DATES: Meeting Dates: The following are the 2015 HCPCS public meeting 
dates:
    1. Thursday, May 7, 2015, 12 p.m. (noon) to 5 p.m. eastern daylight 
time (e.d.t.) (Drugs/Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic 
Imaging Agents).
    2. Friday, May 8, 2015, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern daylight time 
(e.d.t.) (Drugs/Biologicals/Radiopharmaceuticals/Radiologic Imaging 
Agents).
    3. Thursday, May 21, 2015, 10 a.m.. to 5 p.m. eastern daylight time 
(e.d.t.) (Supplies and Other).
    4. Friday, May 22, 2015, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern daylight time 
(e.d.t.) (Supplies and Other).
    5. Wednesday, May 27, 2015, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. e.d.t. Durable Medical 
Equipment (DME) and Accessories; and Orthotics and Prosthetics (O&P).
    Deadlines for Primary Speaker Registration and Presentation 
Materials: The deadline for registering to be a primary speaker and 
submitting materials and writings that will be used in support of an 
oral presentation are as follows:
     April 22, 2015 for the May 7, 2015 and May 8, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 7, 2015 for the May 21, 2015 and May 22, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 13, 2015 for the May 27, 2015 public meeting.
    Registration Deadline for Attendees That are Foreign Nationals: 
Attendees that are foreign nationals (as described in section IV. of 
this notice) are required to identify themselves as such, and provide 
the necessary information for security clearance (as described in 
section IV. of this notice) to the public meeting coordinator at least 
12 business days in advance of the date of the public meeting the 
individual plans to attend. Therefore, the registration deadlines for 
attendees that are foreign nationals are as follows:
     April 20, 2015 for the May 7, 2015 and May 8, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 5, 2015 for the May 21, 2015 and May 22, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 11, 2015 for the May 27, 2015 public meeting.
    Registration Deadlines for all Other Attendees: All individuals who 
are not foreign nationals who plan to enter the building to attend the 
public meeting must register for each date that they plan on attending. 
The registration deadlines are different for each meeting. Registration 
deadlines are as follows:
     April 30, 2015 for the May 7, 2015 and May 8, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 14, 2015 for the May 21, 2015 and May 22, 2015 public 
meeting dates.
     May 20, 2015 for the May 27, 2015 public meeting date.
    Deadlines for Requesting Special Accommodations: Individuals who 
plan to attend the public meetings and require sign-language 
interpretation or other special assistance must request these services 
by the following deadlines:
     April 23, 2015 for the May 7, 2015 and May 8, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 7, 2015 for the May 21, 2015 and May 22, 2015 public 
meetings.
     May 13, 2015 for the May 27, 2015 public meeting.
    Deadline for Submission of Written Comments: Written comments and 
other documentation in response to a preliminary coding or payment 
determination that are received by no later than the date of the public 
meeting at which the code request is scheduled for discussion, will be 
considered in formulating a final coding decision.

ADDRESSES:
    Meeting Location: The public meetings will be held in the main 
auditorium of the central building of the Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    Submission of Written Comments: Written comments may either be 
emailed to [email protected] or sent via regular mail to Jennifer 
Carver, HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator, Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop C5-08-27, 
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850.
    Registration and Special Accommodations: Individuals wishing to 
participate or who need special accommodations or both must register by 
completing the on-line registration located at www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo or by contacting Jennifer Carver at (410) 786-6610 or 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Carver at (410)786-6610 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On December 21, 2000, the Congress passed the Medicare, Medicaid, 
and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) (Pub. 
L. 106-554). Section 531(b) of BIPA mandated that we establish 
procedures that permit public consultation for coding and payment 
determinations for new durable medical equipment (DME)

[[Page 10692]]

under Medicare Part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (the 
Act). The procedures and public meetings announced in this notice for 
new DME are in response to the mandate of section 531(b) of BIPA.
    In the November 23, 2001 Federal Register (66 FR 58743), we 
published a notice providing information regarding the establishment of 
the public meeting process for DME. It is our intent to distribute any 
materials submitted to CMS to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding 
System (HCPCS) workgroup members for their consideration. CMS and the 
HCPCS workgroup members require sufficient preparation time to review 
all relevant materials. Therefore, we are implementing a 10-page 
submission limit and firm deadlines for receipt of any presentation 
materials a meeting speaker wishes us to consider. For this reason, our 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator will only accept and review 
presentation materials received by the deadline for each public 
meeting, as specified in the DATES section of this notice.
    The public meeting process provides an opportunity for the public 
to become aware of coding changes under consideration, as well as an 
opportunity for CMS to gather public input.

II. Meeting Registration

A. Required Information for Registration

    The following information must be provided when registering:
     Name.
     Company name and address.
     Direct-dial telephone and fax numbers.
     Email address.
     Special needs information.
    A CMS staff member will confirm your registration by email.

B. Registration Process

1. Primary Speakers
    Individuals must also indicate whether they are the ``primary 
speaker'' for an agenda item. Primary speakers must be designated by 
the entity that submitted the HCPCS coding request. When registering, 
primary speakers must provide a brief written statement regarding the 
nature of the information they intend to provide, and advise the HCPCS 
Public Meeting Coordinator regarding needs for audio/visual support. To 
avoid disruption of the meeting and ensure compatibility with our 
systems, tapes and disk files are tested and arranged in speaker 
sequence well in advance of the meeting. We will accept tapes and disk 
files that are received by the deadline for submissions for each public 
meeting as specified in the DATES section of this notice.
    Please note CMS' page limit for primary speaker presentation 
materials. The sum of all presentation materials and additional 
supporting documentation may not exceed 10 pages (each side of a page 
counts as 1 page). An exception will be made to the 10-page limit only 
for relevant studies newly published between the application deadline 
and the public meeting date, in which case, we would like a copy of the 
complete publication as soon as possible. This exception applies only 
to the page limit and not the submission deadline.
    The materials may be emailed or delivered by regular mail to the 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator as specified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice. The materials must be emailed or postmarked no later 
than the deadline specified in the DATES section of this notice. 
Individuals will need to provide 35 copies if materials are delivered 
by mail.
2. ``5-Minute Speakers''
    To afford the same opportunity to all attendees, 5-minute speakers 
are not required to register as primary speakers. However, 5-minute 
speakers must still register as attendees by the deadline set forth 
under ``Registration Deadlines for all Other Attendees'' in the DATES 
section of this notice. Attendees can sign up only on the day of the 
meeting to do a 5-minute presentation. Individuals must provide their 
name, company name and address, contact information as specified on the 
sign-up sheet, and identify the specific agenda item that they will 
address.

C. Additional Meeting/Registration Information

    Please note that two of CMS' 2015 HCPCS public meetings have a late 
starting time as noted in the DATES section of this notice. Also, we 
were able this year to combine the Orthotics/Prosthetics and DME 
meeting into one public meeting date as noted in the DATES section of 
this notice.
    The product category reported in the HCPCS code application by the 
applicant may not be the same as that assigned by us. Prior to 
registering to attend a public meeting, all participants are advised to 
review the public meeting agendas at www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo 
which identify our category determinations, and the dates each item 
will be discussed. Draft agendas, including a summary of each request 
and our preliminary decision will be posted on our HCPCS Web site at 
www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo at least 4 weeks before each meeting.
    Additional details regarding the public meeting process for all new 
public requests for revisions to the HCPCS, along with information on 
how to register and guidelines for an effective presentation, will be 
posted at least 4 weeks before the first meeting date on the official 
HCPCS Web site at www.cms.hhs.gov/medhcpcsgeninfo. The document titled 
``Guidelines for Participation in Public Meetings for All New Public 
Requests for Revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System 
(HCPCS)'' will be made available on the HCPCS Web site at least 4 weeks 
before the first public meeting in 2015 for all new public requests for 
revisions to the HCPCS. Individuals who intend to provide a 
presentation at a public meeting need to familiarize themselves with 
the HCPCS Web site and the valuable information it provides to 
prospective registrants. The HCPCS Web site also contains a document 
titled ``Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II 
Coding Procedures,'' which is a description of the HCPCS coding 
process, including a detailed explanation of the procedures used to 
make coding determinations for all the products, supplies, and services 
that are coded in the HCPCS.
    The HCPCS Web site also contains a document titled ``HCPCS Decision 
Tree & Definitions'' which illustrates, in flow diagram format, HCPCS 
coding standards as described in our Coding Procedures document.
    A summary of each public meeting will be posted on the HCPCS Web 
site by the end of August 2015.

III. Presentations and Comment Format

    We can only estimate the amount of meeting time that will be needed 
since it is difficult to anticipate the total number of speakers that 
will register for each meeting. Meeting participants should arrive 
early to allow time to clear security and sign-in. Each meeting is 
expected to begin promptly as scheduled. Meetings may end earlier than 
the stated ending time.

A. Oral Presentation Procedures

    All primary speakers must register as provided under the section 
titled ``Meeting Registration.'' Materials and writings that will be 
used in support of an oral presentation should be submitted to the 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator.
    The materials may be emailed or delivered by regular mail to the 
HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinator as specified in the ADDRESSES section 
of this notice. The materials must be emailed or

[[Page 10693]]

postmarked no later than the deadline specified in the DATES section of 
this notice. Individuals will need to include 35 copies if materials 
are delivered by mail.

B. Primary Speaker Presentations

    The individual or entity requesting revisions to the HCPCS coding 
system for a particular agenda item may designate one ``primary 
speaker'' to make a presentation for a maximum of 15 minutes. Fifteen 
minutes is the total time interval for the presentation, and the 
presentation must incorporate any demonstration, set-up, and 
distribution of material. In establishing the public meeting agenda, we 
may group multiple, related requests under the same agenda item. In 
that case, we will decide whether additional time will be allotted, and 
may opt to increase the amount of time allotted to the speaker by 
increments of less than 15 minutes.
    Individuals designated to be the primary speaker must register to 
attend the meeting using the registration procedures described under 
the ``Meeting Registration'' section of this notice and contact one of 
the HCPCS Public Meeting Coordinators, specified in the ADDRESSES 
section. Primary speakers must also separately register as primary 
speakers by the date specified in the DATES section of this notice.

C. ``5-Minute'' Speaker Presentations

    Meeting attendees can sign up at the meeting, on a first-come, 
first-served basis, to make presentations for up to 5 minutes on 
individual agenda items. Based on the number of items on the agenda and 
the progress of the meeting, a determination will be made at the 
meeting by the meeting coordinator and the meeting moderator regarding 
how many ``5-minute speakers'' can be accommodated and/or whether the 
5-minute time allocation would be reduced, to accommodate the number of 
speakers.

D. Speaker Declaration

    On the day of the meeting, before the end of the meeting, all 
primary speakers and 5-minute speakers must provide a brief written 
summary of their comments and conclusions to the HCPCS Public Meeting 
Coordinator.
    Every primary speaker and 5-minute speaker must declare at the 
beginning of their presentation at the meeting, as well as in their 
written summary, whether they have any financial involvement with the 
manufacturers or competitors of any items being discussed; this 
includes any payment, salary, remuneration, or benefit provided to that 
speaker by the manufacturer or the manufacturer's representatives.

E. Written Comments From Meeting Attendees

    Written comments will be accepted from the general public and 
meeting registrants anytime up to the date of the public meeting at 
which a request is discussed. Comments must be sent to the address 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    Meeting attendees may also submit their written comments at the 
meeting. Due to the close timing of the public meetings, subsequent 
workgroup reconsiderations, and final decisions, we are able to 
consider only those comments received in writing by the close of the 
public meeting at which the request is discussed.

IV. Security, Building, and Parking Guidelines

    The meetings are held within the CMS Complex which is not open to 
the general public. Visitors to the complex are required to show a 
valid Government issued photo identification preferably a driver's 
license, at the time of entry. Participants will also be subject to a 
vehicle security inspection before access to the complex is granted. 
Participants not in possession of a valid identification or who are in 
possession of prohibited items will be denied access to the complex. 
Prohibited items on federal property include but are not limited to, 
alcoholic beverages, illegal narcotics, explosives, firearms or other 
dangerous weapons (including pocket knives), dogs or other animals 
except service animals. Once cleared for entry to the complex 
participants will be directed to visitor parking by a security officer.
    In order to ensure expedited entry into the building it is 
recommended that participants have their ID and a copy of their written 
meeting registration confirmation readily available and that they do 
not bring large/bulky items into the building. Participants are 
reminded that photography on the CMS complex is prohibited. CMS has 
also been declared a tobacco free campus and violators are subject to 
legal action. In planning arrival time, we recommend allowing 
additional time to clear security. Individuals who are not registered 
in advance will not be permitted to enter the building and will be 
unable to attend the meeting. The invited guests may not enter the 
building earlier than 45 minutes before the convening of the meeting 
each day.
    Guest access to the complex is limited to the meeting area, the 
main entrance lobby, and the cafeteria. If a visitor is found outside 
of those areas without proper escort they may be escorted off of the 
premises. Also be mindful that there will be an opportunity for 
everyone to speak and we request that everyone waits for the 
appropriate time to present their product or opinions. Disruptive 
behavior will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the 
meetings and escort from the complex. No visitor is allowed to attach 
USB cables, thumb drives or any other equipment to any CMS information 
technology (IT) system or hardware for any purpose at anytime. 
Additionally, CMS staff is prohibited from taking such actions on 
behalf of a visitor or utilizing any removable media provided by a 
visitor.
    We cannot assume responsibility for coordinating the receipt, 
transfer, transport, storage, set-up, safety, or timely arrival of any 
personal belongings or items used for demonstration or to support a 
presentation. Special arrangements and approvals are required at least 
2 weeks prior to each public meeting in order to bring pieces of 
equipment or medical devices. These arrangements need to be made with 
the public meeting coordinator. It is possible that certain requests 
made in advance of the public meeting could be denied because of unique 
safety, security or handling issues related to the equipment. A minimum 
of 2 weeks is required for approvals and security procedures. Any 
request not submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the public meeting 
will be denied.
    Foreign National Visitors are defined as Non-U.S. Citizens, and 
non-lawful permanent residents, non-resident aliens or non-green-card 
holders.
    Attendees that are foreign nationals must identify themselves as 
such, and provide the following information for security clearance to 
the public meeting coordinator by the date specified in the DATES 
section of this notice:
     Building to Visit/Destination.
     Visit start date, start time, end date, end time.
     Visitor full name.
     Gender.
     Visitor Title.
     Visitor Organization/Employer.
     Citizenship.
     Birth Place (City, Country).
     Date of Birth.
     ID Type (Passport or State Department ID).
     Passport issued by Country.
     ID (passport) Number.
     ID (passport) issue date.
     ID (passport)expiration date.
     Visa Type.
     Visa Number.

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     Purpose of Visit.

    Dated: February 18, 2015.
Marilyn Tavenner,
Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-04178 Filed 2-26-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P